Sechelles, "never takes up his pen to write "till he has long meditated his fubject, and "has in general no paper near him but that "on which he is writing. This, in one's ftudy," adds his biographer, " is more ne"ceffary than most writers think. The rec gularity, in fact, which a man fees about "him is communicated to his productions. "It is ftrongly recommended by two labo"rious writers, M. Necker and the Abbé Terrai."

A lady once told Buffon, that what 'Rouffeau had mentioned in his Emile' refpecting women nurfing their own children was not new, for that he himself had mentioned it long before in his writings. “I had, "indeed, told them fo," replied Buffon ;" but "Rouffeau has commanded it, and muft make *himself obeyed *.

Buffon had a fon of whom he was very fond, and who was an idolater of his father's

When Rouffeau's Emile' came out, an able phyfician faid, "There are many excellent truths in this book; it will do much fervice to mankind; but I forefee that our "ladies will do much harm to their children by starving "them in two ways; by a diet compofed too much of vege"table food, and by expofing them too much to the cold."

glory and reputation. When under the fatal guillotine he exclaimed, “Citoyens, je me nomme Buffon."

MARSHAL BELLEISLE,

to accuftom himself to contemplate that great dignity to which he arrived, or to raise in his mind that paffion for glory which afterwards fucceeded fo well, used to walk about his room every morning exclaiming for half an hour together," I am refolved to be a great "general, and Marshal of France."

LE COMTE DE GELIN

was implicated in the unhappy business of La Charette, and brought before the military commiffion. Being asked by one of his judges whether he was married or not, "I am married," faid he, "to the daughter of mine " and of your mafter." [He had married a natural daughter of Louis XV.] Before he was executed he exclaimed, "I die for my "God and my king."

SENECAI

SENECAI
$

wrote fome lines which he called The Irrefolute Man;' they have been thus tranflated by an ingenious youth, who felt but too fenfibly the ill confequences of the folly defcribed in them:

THE IRRESOLUTE MAN.

While Jack too long deliberates
Which lot of life 'tis beft to draw,
Or arms, or phyfic, church, or law,
And ftill his choice procraftinates;

Neglected Time with rapid wing

In filence sweeps the liftless hours,
Each idly crops life's fresheft flow'rs,
Which knows, alas! no fecond fpring:

For foon old age with wintry hands
Shall freeze the current of the foul,
Her ardent energies controul,
And bind the powers in icy bands:

In learning prompt, in speaking ready ;

But, wav'ring, doubtful, light, unsteady,
For ev'ry state is now unfit.

While floating on each wand'ring wave

Of paffion, chance, caprice, and whim,
Death comes and ftrait decides for him,
To fix his ftation in the grave.

The

The character of Aliger, fo finely depicted by Dr. Johnson in The Rambler,' is faid to have been that of the late learned Mr. Floyer Sydenham, the tranflator of the Dialogues of Plato.

FATHER GERDIL

says of education, "that it is indeed an art, "but one of thofe which are directory, pro

ducing nothing apparently at the time. "The increase is moft affuredly flow; the ad"vantage not readily feen, and at a diftance. "It is like the thadow of a dial which is ftill

going on, yet no eye fees it move." Ignorant parents do not know

Molis quanta eft, humanam condere mentem ;

how difficult and how tedious a business it is to build up the fabric of the human mind to advantage; and by their folly and precipitation, in not fuffering the foundations to be laid deep and folid, not unfrequently render it a building of fand, inftead of a fabric of ftone; and wish to pluck the fruit from the tree before the bloffom is fet.

FONTENELLE

FONTENELLE

had one day drawn The King on the four des Rois, Twelfth-day; and being asked whether he would be a defpot, answered, “A fine "queftion indeed!"

RACINE.

EVERY line in this poet is excellent. Voltaire fays, "that a comment would be made "with great ease on his Works, for that there "would be nothing more to do than to write "under every paffage beautiful, fublime, ex

quifite." Boileau ufed to fay, "that he "had taught Racine to make verses with "difficulty. The eafieft verfes," adds he, "that are known, are not thofe which are compofed with the greatest ease."

He, in conjunction with Boileau, was appointed hiftoriographer to Louis XIV. who had once ordered him to attend him to a fiege that was carrying on in Flanders. Racine, however, remained at Verfailles; and when the king at his return expreffed his furprife at it,

and